Texas thinks "public" is an offensive word, so they excise it from the name of the library.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

http://www.fortworthgov.org/uploadedFiles/Public_Library/ABOUT_US/News/FWL_BRANDMediaReleaseCFWFinal%20June%205.pdf

The word “public” has been removed from the name of the Fort Worth Library. Why? Simply put, to keep up with the times. In today’s day and age, the word “public” implies a place that, at one time, might have been viewed as institutional and restrictive. All are welcome at the Fort Worth Library. By removing one word with a potentially negative connotation, the Library aims to appear more welcoming and accessible to all.

Jesus fuck. If that's not dogmatic ideological newspeak, I don't know what is.

Excellent takedown here: All Hail the PUBLIC Library. I'm quoting more than for paragraphs because this is under a Creative Commons License. But I recommend you read the whole thing.

Fort Worth, you leave me speechless. You’re certainly correct about one thing. The public library is indeed an institution that has not kept up with the times. But given what has happened to our times, why do you see that as unhealthy? In an age of greed and selfishness, the public library stands as an enduring monument to the values of cooperation and sharing. In an age where global corporations stride the earth, the public library remains firmly rooted in the local community. In an age of widespread cynicism and distrust of government, the 100 percent tax supported public library has virtually unanimous and enthusiastic support.

This is not the time to take the word “public” out of the public library. It is time to put it in capitals.

The public library is a singularly American invention. Europeans had subscription libraries for 100 years before the United States was born. But on a chilly day in April 1833 the good citizens of Peterborough, New Hampshire created a radical new concept—a truly PUBLIC library. All town residents, regardless of income, had the right to freely share the community’s stored knowledge. Their only obligation was to return the information on time and in good condition, allowing others to exercise that same right.

By the 1870s 11 states boasted 188 public libraries. By 1910 all states had them. Today 9,000 central buildings plus about 7500 branches have made public libraries one of the most ubiquitous of all American institutions, exceeding Starbucks and McDonalds.

(...) All things public are under attack. The Fort Worth rebranding is an indication of how effective this attack has been. The city explained that it was dropping the word “public” because of its “potentially negative connotation”. The Founding Fathers would be disconsolate. John Adams wrote in 1776, “There must be a positive passion for the public good, the public interest…established in the minds of the people, or there can be no republican government, nor any real liberty: and this public passion must be superior to all private passions.” Thomas Jefferson agreed, “I profess… that to be false pride which postpones the public good to any private or personal considerations.”

Would it be improper for me to mention the Forth Worth rebranding initiative was mostly paid for by a large oil drilling company?

An increasing number of library systems have gone beyond name changing to actual privatization of ever-larger parts of their library operations. The biggest player in the library privatization game is Library Systems & Services (LSSI), founded in 1981 to take advantage of President Reagan’s initiative to privatize government services. LSSI now privately manages more than 60 public libraries nationwide and now trails only Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City as an operator of library branches.

(...) But the new wave of privatization goes far beyond simple contracting out for services and raises fundamental questions. For example, LSSI’s contract with Santa Clarita, California gives LSSI control of all hiring and materials purchasing.

[Skidmore]

1. Some overzealous religious nut probably thought that was how you spell

"pubic."

[canetoad]

2. Small point

http://www.chethams.org.uk/

"Chetham's Library was founded in 1653 and is the oldest public library in the English-speaking world. It is an independent charity and remains open to readers and visitors free of charge."

[Blue_Tires]

3. unbelievable...

this is the strangest thing I've heard in awhile...

[no_hypocrisy]

4. When did the term "public" become synonymous with "socialism" and "communism"?

Not that there's anything wrong with those terms . . .

[Sheepshank]

8. When the capitalists started defining it as such n/t

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

10. When the intensity of the right-wing weirdos' extremism reached (and surpassed) Stalinist levels. nt

[liberal N proud]

5. Extremism is consuming America

These idiots think there should be profit in everything.

[hifiguy]

6. Is there something in the air and water

down in Texas that causes this sort of excruciating stupidity? Pollution from all the oil refineries and chemical factories?

Jebus H. Festivus these people are even dumber than the cross-dressing meth head caught with the stolen dead goat discussed in another thread.

"Would it be improper for me to mention the Forth Worth rebranding initiative was mostly paid for by a large oil drilling company?" Well, that certainly explains a lot... :eyes:

[Mrs. Ted Nancy]

15. I think so

From an EPA report:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered a natural gas company in Forth Worth Texas to take immediate action to protect homeowners living near one of their drilling operations who have complained about flammable and bubbling drinking water coming out of their tap. EPA testing has confirmed that extremely high levels of methane in their water pose an imminent and substantial risk of explosion or fire. EPA has also found other contaminants including benzene, which can cause cancer, in their drinking water.

EPA has determined that natural gas drilling near the homes by Range Resources in Parker County, Texas has caused or contributed to the contamination of at least two residential drinking water wells. Therefore, today, EPA has ordered the company to step in immediately to stop the contamination, provide drinking water and provide methane gas monitors to the homeowners. EPA has issued an imminent and substantial endangerment order under Section 1431 of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Parker County is located west of Fort Worth, Texas.

In late August, EPA received a citizen's complaint regarding concerns with a private drinking water well. During the inspector’s follow-up inquiry, EPA learned that the homeowner had previously complained to the Texas Railroad Commission as well as the company, but their concerns were not adequately addressed by the State or the company. EPA then conducted an on-site inspection of the private drinking water well with the homeowner and a neighboring residence, and returned to collect both water and gas samples. These samples were sent to an EPA certified laboratory for analysis. The data was received in late November 2010 and was carefully reviewed by EPA scientists. The EPA scientists have conducted isotopic fingerprint analysis and concluded the source of the drinking water well contamination to closely match that from Range Resources’ natural gas production well.

http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/120710_endangerment_order.htm

[Patiod]

25. I'm guessing "Gasland" won't be on the shelves

And censorship is only one of the many issues with this stupid idea.

[Odin2005]

33. It's memetic polution, not chemical.

their brains are addled by toxic memes.

[Sheepshank]

7. We public are a dirty unwanted rabble aren't we? But here, take my public funds!

l are welcome at the Fort Worth Library. By removing one word with a potentially negative connotation, the Library aims to appear more welcoming and accessible to all."


If, as the article explains they want to imply more expansion of the uses at the library, maybe they should have changed the name "library" or added something in addition to "library". But to eliminate the term 'public' in my opinion is to minimize the contribution the public has made to the facility via taxes, and because of that co-ownership have always been welcome to set foot in the place they helped pay for. I think that removing the term "public" has the opposite effect of making everyone feel welcome.

[louis-t]

9. Yeah, the word "public" means "exclusive"

As in "public golf course" vs. "private golf course". Jeez, these people hurt my head.

[newspeak]

14. I'm with you!!!!

Public must mean that the "unwashed masses" are allowed in, while private means only those who can afford the privilege. And a public golf course costs less than a private exclusive club.

[klook]

11. Next step: rename it to the Tostitos Fort Worth Library

The naming rights will pay for the library and relieve taxpayers of the onerous burden!

Or maybe the Fox News Fort Worth Library -- they can have a bunch of empty bookshelves and just carry DVDs, since reading is for socialists and degenerates.

[Lucian]

12. Wait...what?

When I think of the term "public," I think of a place that is welcoming and accessible to all.

WTF is wrong with Texas?

[kentauros]

16. The same exact thing that's wrong with every single state in the union:

Republicans.

[Lucian]

26. Touche, kentauros.

[SoCalDem]

13. They are probably tired of the typos that leave out the "L"

:rofl:

[zbdent]

17. If they think that "public" is such a dirty word ... then

let them excise "public" from their funding ...

[gratuitous]

20. They're working pretty hard on that

But there's only so much corporate bribes will fund. And money spent on a library can't go to funding some public (oops!) official's green fees. Choices must be made. I guess citizens should be grateful they didn't burn the library down.

[snagglepuss]

18. "a place ...viewed as institutional and restrictive" Sounds like churches need

a new name as well.

[quinnox]

19. Only Texas could think of this

"Public is too commie a word!"

[FormerDittoHead]

30. You're not giving Nevada the credit it deserves! n/t

[Armstead]

21. What's just as obnoxious is their "branding" of the library

I hate that term. Everything today has to be "branded" as if it is a product.

It's a damn library. Nothing wrong with updating it's image and identity....But it sounds in the release that it's just a new Fun Zone franchise.

[LanternWaste]

22. I worked at one of the ft Worth branch libraries after HS...

I worked at one of the Ft Worth branch libraries just after HS for about two years as I was going to college.

The BIG deal was when the local branch libraries were renamed about fifteen years ago-- East Branch Library became Meadowbrook Branch, etc. That was when the local editorial pages in the Star Telegram were cracking with hate.

All in all though, it's still one of the best library systems in TX I'm aware of.

[EC]

23. Well, yeah,

in there little minds "public" means socialism.


people who go to the library knows what public means and it's not "institutional and restrictive", it's free and open to everybody.


How do these politicians see themselves then? They are after all "public servants".

I'll bet they are going to privatize the library system, change it to a paying membership or something.

[brooklynite]

24. I was with the article until the end...

...but the argument about private management is irrelevant. The "public" in Public Library is the ownership and access. Who is responsible for the operation is a separate issue.

[skypilot]

27. I thought it was going to be because...

...they thought the word looked too much like pubic, but this is almost as weird.

[Hannah Bell]

28. orwell museum material.

[Zorra]

29. The Math: Corporate friendly centrist Democrats + Republicans = Privatization

The sum is correct.

[TransitJohn]

31. +1

You know it.

[Odin2005]

32. That is PATHETIC.

[madinmaryland]

34. Nevermind. I thought it said "Texas thinks 'Pubic' is an offensive word..."

:P

[Baby Bear]

35. A Rose by any name.....

Here is the address of the Ft. Worth Library, I'll just cut it out and paste it in here.

Fort Worth Public Library
500 W. Third St.
Fort Worth, TX 76102-7305

hey! Look at that! It says public, right there on the web site!


Not all public libraries have the word public in the name. My spouse patronizes the Freeman Memorial Library in Houston, also a public library.

[progressoid]

36. What the ????

It's too early in the morning to start drinking but damn. :wtf:

[RandomKoolzip]

37. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

This shit has got my blood boiling. As a librarian, I say let those fuckers secede.

[Horse with no Name]

38. Why is it that their radical views are so easily thrust upon us

When our reasoned views generally have to make it to the SCOTUS to make an impact?